Update!
Well, it has been a while. And Riot on the Rocks has been busy. 2007 turned out to be pretty god damn cool. After SXSW we took a rock and roll road trip around the USA spreading the rock, shifting some zines, and checking out even more great bands.
In LA we caught up with Bloodcat Love again, who were supporting the UK’s Whitey at the Echo, a great venue in Echo Park. It took a while to find it – and a $40 cab fare – but it was worth it. Bloodcat Love’s Myles Hendrik strutted and pouted and Iggy-ed it up to the Hellacopters-esque guitar wailings of ex-D4 man Dion. The crowd were there for Whitey though, whose strobe-laced performance from a darkened stage was lapped up by Silverlake scenesters and British ex-pats alike.
A few days later and we were at the Troubador, where Italy’s Afterhours did a lot of hand claps and the more impressive Outlines filled the legendary venue with a combination of brooding post-rock and emotional punk vocals. Imagine Interpol for the under-18s.
A couple of weeks later and no sooner had we arrived in San Francisco, and we were down at 12 Galaxies to see a sold out show by the brilliant Ponys, from Chicago, supported by Deerhunter. The later don’t look a day over eighteen, and play a chaotic set punctuated by badly received jokes, hushed discussions between band members and complete spaz-outs. The Ponys on the other hand had more of an air of sophistication, lacing their post-punk revival sound with mature yet poppy melodies. There’s something strangley comforting about see great bands with couples in (and I don’t mean the Subways), a reminder that you don’t have to be a bunch of heartbroken nymphomaniacs to shoot from the hip when it comes to rock and roll.
Down at Annie’s Social Club a week later were Irish-born, San Francisco-residing The Hooks, whose unabashed pop punk was devoid of the arrogance and immodesty of many of their big-balled US counterparts, and strangley reminiscent of the Wildhearts in their seamless blend of the two P’s.
At the Rickshaw Stop we were greeted by two mop-topped Macunian ex-pat teenagers who make up two thirds of Pop Noir, a beat-driven, rapture-esque three piece now living in California. From the moment you clap eyes on them, on stage and off, it is pretty damn obvious these kids have it made – identical twins, tall, skinny, black-clad and with matching shocks of ridiculous hair makes for enchanting viewing. Couple this with a youthful, Gang of Four-inspired, beat-driven sound and one thing is clear: we need these guys back in the UK. Keep your eyes peeled for the boys in the next issue of the zine.
A five hour plane ride later and we are in NYC, where we manage to cram in visits to the Gramercy, Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge, Filmore East and Arlene’’s Grocery. The highlight was The Grails supporting Mono at the Bowery, who deliver a rapturous and moving set bathed in red light and punctuated by wall-of-sound crescendos.
Needless to say by the end of the trip we were all rocked out. Well, nearly….
The annual Joey Ramone charity Birthday Bash at the Filmore East was the ultimate last night show – with the New York Dolls heading a bill of NY old timers. The modest venue and well mannered crowd mad for a surreal evening, as through the delirious exhaustion the throws of Jet Boy and Trash placed a suitably rock a roll punctuation mark at the end of our USA oddessey.